The Courage of Conviction, Part 3
Acts 21:10-16
In our study this morning, we are drawn again to the 21st chapter Acts, to complete our look at the courage of conviction. We almost really finished last time, but we didn't quite finish, so this morning we will, Lord willing it, in the early hour, finish this brief look at verses 1 through 15 of Acts 21. In our early hour we went off on few tangents too, and we may do that this hour, and cover some other interesting things that relate to this passage, that are not directly in it.
But in Acts 21:1-15, we have bee considering this passage, though it is a narrative and a historical passage, and has not exhortation at all in it, and no particular instruction to the believer. It speaks by way of example to a very important subject, and this is the courage of conviction. We find, in this passage, the commitment and the dedication, and the consecration, and the conviction of Apostle Paul, demonstrated. And as we have learned here, in our study of the Book of Acts, what we learn by example is maybe even more indelible that what we hear by precept.
And so, in studying for example, Galatians, in the evening, we're studying precept, and studying Acts in the morning, we're studying example, and both teach the same lesions. And so, we've benefited by looking at what is historical narrative and extracting from it, characteristics and principles that can be applied to our own lives. And as we have looked at this particular little chunk of the life of Paul, a simple little trip from Mildeas to Caesarea. As he concludes his third missionary journey and goes to Jerusalem, we have seen in this little vignette from his life, a great illustration of the tremendous commitment that he had, to the call that God had given him.
This whole subject of commitment and dedication is something that is expressed, I think, in all kinds of ways and all walks of life. Recently, I was reading an article by George Allan, who is formally the Coach of the Rams, and now the Coach of the Washington Redskins football team. And he's had an amazing record of success, and he attributes it, very simply, to this - and I'm quoting him. "If I've succeed it is because I outwork most people. Work is simply a synonym for effort, and as I tell my players, 100 percent is not enough. The average American pictures himself as an extremely hard worker. Sociologist and Psychologists have shown, however, that most persons are really operating on less than half power. In terms of effort, they may never get over 50 percent, although they think of themselves as 90 percent producers. Therefore, to get 100 percent, you must aim for 110 percent. The world belongs to those who aim for 110 percent."
"To me, the real test of every man and every woman is how much they give of themselves. What gripes me most is that people think they want something, but when it comes to a little work, a job, or doing some extra study, they fall by the wayside," end quote. And I think all of us can relate to that. We come home, after a day of piddling around at work, and say, "Oh, I am so beat. I've had it." You haven't had anything. It's all a matter of application of your mental attitude. Really, dedication is the key to anything, and certainly in George Allan's case. And I read somewhere where he spends 16 hours a day, everyday, working on football. That borders on insanity, in my mind.
But nevertheless, you have to say something for the man's commitment. And you know, if you're in any kind of business at all, that is any way motivational, you know that there are success seminars, and motivational seminars that people pay a lot of money to go to, and basically all of those things, and all of all success in life, boil down to the same basic commodity, commitments. The world does belong to the people who give 110 percent effort, that's very well stated.
The devoted people; the dedicated people; the committed people; the people who are willing to pay the price, are the ones who make the difference; and face it, most aren't, so most people are spectators. As someone has aptly said, "There are the people who make things happen, there are the people who watch things, happen, and there are the people who don't what's happening.
In Hebrews chapter 11, I'd like for you to meet some more people who made things happen, some 110 percent effort people; some people were committed. And I do this just before we go to Acts 21, so that you can have a bigger backdrop for this particular exhortation, than you would have with just the life of the Apostle Paul. He was not the only committed individual. He was no the only man who was willing to go the extremities that we went to, to accomplish the goals that he had set for himself, or rather, that Christ had delivered to him.
What Hebrews 11, you have that great chapter on the heroes of the faith, and these were really committed people, beginningly - verse 24 introduces to us, a man named Moses. In verse 24, says, "By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." Now, Moses had risen to the heights of Egyptian society - he was a Prince. He had all of the wealth that went along with it. And those of you have recently been to Egypt, in one of our tour groups, know what kind of wealth existed in the hierarchy of Egyptian society.
And in that particular period in time, Moses had risen to the place of Price. And he had all the goes with it - Egyptian wealth and splendor, at his grasp. But, "he refused it, says in verse 24.
Verse 25 says, "Choosing rather, to suffer affliction with the people of God, than you enjoy the pleasures of sin, for a season." He was really faced with a decision. Now, according to Acts 7:23 to 25, and the Sermon of Stephen, it says there, "That Moses knew that he had been called of God, to lead Israel out." So, on the one hand he had his position in Egypt and all of its wealth. One the other hand, he had the call of Go to stay in Egypt and hold on to what he had, and pay no price, he had everything, there was no cost involved to him, at all. He would make no sacrifice. To become the leader of Israel, he would make the sacrifice of everything, all his wealth, all his prestige, and maybe the sacrifice of his own life. It was a tremendous choice.
Two opposites. He would exchange wealth for poverty; fame for infamy; being a hero for being a criminal, being loved for being hated. It was all opposites. But he knew the call of God was to be the leader of the people of Israel, and so he made his choice, verse 26, says, "Esteeming the reproach of the anointed." The word Christ literally means anointed. And maybe could just translate it that way. I don't think it's talking about Christ himself, directly here, 'cause Christ hadn't come yet. But Moses was esteeming or thinking that the reproach of being God's anointed, was better riches than the treasures of Egypt."
In other words, he'd rather be hated, and be God's anointed than be loved, and be belonging to Egypt, so made his choice. And the reason he could choose that way, at the end of verse 32, "He had respect under the recompense of reward. He was willing to sacrifice temporary riches for eternal reward." That's a good decision, isn't it? "He was willing to sacrifice temporary riches for eternal reward." "He knew the pleasures of sin" as verse 25, says, "were only for a season. God's reward was eternal." So, "By faith, he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King, for he endured as seeing him," it was invisible." He didn't worry about a visible King, he knew an invisible God.
And so, here was a man who had to make a choice. And it was gonna cost him and cost him, everything that he had, and he made it. That's commitment. He was willing to suffer affliction with the people of God because that, was God's will, even though the price was everything that he had. There was another individual. Down to verse 31. "By faith, the prostitute, Rahab, perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." Here was a lady who went against her whole society. Here, with a bunch of wandering nomad Israelites, that arrived in her city, and said, we're gonna knock the place off. Now, she had a tremendous decision to make. She was fairly secure in your profession and secure in her city, but she believed God, and against all of the politics and all that was there, in city of Jericho, she chose to establish her faith in God, and believe those spies and believe God, and make a sacrifice, and she hid those soldiers at great risk to her life but she was willing to pay the price for what she believed in, and God honored her, believe me.
You know, that that woman was a prostitute, that's bad, very bad. But she was also a Canaanite, and that's bad, very bad. She was an Amorite, that's worse. I mean to be an Amorite is bad, to be an Amorite, Canaanite, prostitute, is unbelievably bad because all the Amorites and Canaanite's were devoted to destruction. She was getting it coming and going. But do you know that God's grace has always been wider than Israel, and that that prostitute, Amorite, Canaanite, Gentile, was induced, right into the line of a Messiah, and she was the mother of Boaz, the great, great grandfather, of David. That's grace, people, that's grace.
And God's grace is always been wider than Israel, and it was predicated on her faith in God, against all odd, since she was willing to stick by what she believed, at any price. And you remember how she hid those spies, it was a touch and go thing, and she believed and God honored her faith. There were others. Verse 32, "What shall I say more?" And he did say more. "For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon" and were Gideon, a judge who faced the Midianite Army with only 300 men who had no weapons but only pitchers and trumpets and torches." But he believed God and he was willing to stake his life on it, "and Barak" - Barak fought the great General Cicero, with all of his massive armies, so outnumbered and won the victory. And then there was, Samson, who won so many victories over the Philistines. And there was Jepthah, who conquered the Amonites, and David, who conquered Goliath, and so forth, and so on.
And it says in verse 33, "who through faith subdued kingdoms, righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions" - Daniel "quenched the violence of fire" - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - "escaped the edge of the sword" and that could refer to David - "out of weakness, were made strong" - perhaps Hezekiah - "became valiant in fight" - that could be a whole bunch of people - "turned to flight the armies or the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again." Two widows, at least, in view of there, Elijah and Elisha both involved in those. "And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection."
See, they always esteemed that the ultimate eternal reward was greater than any sacrifice. Isn't that what Paul meant, in Romans 8:18? He said, "The infirmities or the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall be ours, hereafter." See? That's the ultimate choice, you obey God and there's an eternal dividend. You hang onto what you've got in this world, and that it, friend, that's it. What you see is what you see, is what you get.
Verse 36, "Others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings. You can see Jeremiah 38, for that. "Yea, a bonds and imprisonment" - that could a lot of 'em - "they were stones - Zechariah and Jeremiah, perhaps in mind - "__ asunder," Traditional tells us Isaiah was __ asunder - "tested, flamed with a sword, wandered in sheepskins, goatskins, destitute, afflicted, tormented." Now look, here were all these people undergoing all of this, because they believed in a goal that God had given them, and they were willing to stick their neck out, and die for it. That's commitment. That's the effort beyond the effort. That's spending himself or herself, "for that which God which calls."
And, I love verse 38; it says, in little parenthesis, it says, "And whom the world was not worthy." Boy, the world didn't deserve to have those kinds of people, hanging around. They were too good for the system. Marvelous people. "They wandered in deserts and mountains, and dens and caves. And these all having received witness through faith, received not the promise." And they did it, you all, by faith. They never did receive the promise. They never did see the end of their hopes, of all their dreams. God having provided some better thing, for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect."
In other words, it had to be in our time, and the when Christ came, that the fulfillment of all their dreams came, in the New Covenant, things that they only saw in the future and never received. They actually - and hang on this people; they actually gave their lives for a hope that they never saw. And all God is asking of us, is that same level of commitment for a hope that is already in history, a fact. Christ was here. He did live, he did die, He did rise again, He's alive at the right hand of the Father, and He'll work His will and power through us. Do you believe that? Then level of our commitment ought to exceed the level of the commitment of those listed in Hebrews 11. Now, that'll show you far off we are from the mark, if you try to put yourself beside those people, you'll come up short.
So, we're talking about commitment, and as we saw last time, there are different kinds of commitment levels. Now, you can turn to, Acts 21. There are different kinds of commitment. There is what we call, incomplete commitment, you never give it all to the Lord. There's insincere commitment, you're a phony and there's intermittent, you're committed today, and who knows about tomorrow. But what God wants a total abandonment to His cause that is constant - never wavers. Now, as we come to Acts 21, we see this kind of commitment in the Apostle Paul, and it just sort of blossoms, in the verses we'll look, particularly today.
But we have four little points that help us to see the totality of the courage of conviction. The courage of conviction or commitment knows its purpose, can't be diverted, pays any price and affects others. Those are the four points. Now, Point 1, just very quickly; the courage of conviction knows its purpose. You can't stand for something, unless you got something to stand for. You can't courageous unless you've got a conviction you're fighting for. So, it all begins with something that you believe in. Now, Paul had a convictions, verses 1 to 3, which we won't read. Just remind us, that Paul was on way to Jerusalem. His conviction was, God wants me to get this money to the Saints in Jerusalem, they need it and it'll help unify the church. I've gotta get there, that was his conviction, that was his objection, that was his goal.
And so, he pursed it. He had something to which he was committed, that's basic. The courage of conviction knows its purpose. You cannot, my friend, defend yourself, you cannot your ministry or defend your intent or your purpose unless you've got one. You can't fight for it, unless it's there. So, the courage of conviction knows its purpose. Set goals. Secondly, and this review - the courage of conviction can't be diverted. And this is the real stuff, of it. No matter what happens, you can't divert the person. He's got his goal, he's got his conviction, his face is set like a flint - he's going there.
And that was Paul in verses 4 to 6, he arrives in Tyre on journey and they all said, Oh, don't go to Jerusalem, don't go to Jerusalem. And after they all got done, he said, goodbye, and left for Jerusalem. He couldn't be diverted. That's the courage of conviction. All kinds of people, in your lifetime, maybe even your good Christian friends, will try to talk you out of things that you believe is in. Well, you measure, that if it is the will of God, it is to be fulfilled in spite of what they say.
Thirdly, and this is the point that is the major point of the passage, the courage of conviction pays any price. It can't be diverted at any price - at any price. I thought of Daniel, as I thought of this. The rule came down. You are not allowed to pray to anybody but the King. So, what did Daniel do? He did what we always did. And if you do pray to anybody, but the King, whack - you're gonna be in the lions den. What did Daniel do? He did what he always did. He throw open his windows and prayed to God. Never changed one thing. Why? He knew what his purpose was. He knew what his goal was. Nothing diverted him, and he'd pay any price. He wound up in the lions den. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were told to do the same thing to go the way of the King, needed the Kings meet and do the things that the Kings wanted them to do, and worship the way the King wanted them wanted to worship. Bow down to the false Gods, and all that, and they would not do that. And they were willing to price. They turned around and walked right into a fiery furnace. That's paying the price.
You will notice, however, that each in case, God delivered them. God honors those who are willing to stick by their guns, believe me. I'll tell you, I would rather be in the midst of a fire, in the will of God, than be resting on the beach in Hawaii, out of His will. Really. You're always safe in the middle of His will, no matter what's going on. And if you don't think that's true, you just read the Book of Acts again, and watch how those people went from one fire to the next, in the middle of God's will and were protected from ever being burnt. It's exciting.
Well, as we come to verses 7 to 14, we find this little idea of the courage of conviction paying any price, presented to us. And I'm just gonna read versus 7 to 9, 'cause we covered 'em last time, just to set the stage. "And when had finished our course from Tyre," - they left Tyre, after spending a little time there, seven days, "they came to Ptolemais" - they are now going down the Coast toward Caesarea, and from Caesarea they go directly over to Jerusalem. But they "finished from Tyre, came to Ptolemais and greeted the brethren, and abode with one day." So, they stayed with the Christians and Ptolemais for a day. A church ha